Los Mariachis keep musical style traditional (+ Video)

Michael Zamora/Caller-Times Ivan Ibarra (left) helps guide musician Alonzo Cuellar, who is blind, around the tables July 18 during a performance by Los Mariachis at the La Playa Mexican restaurant.

Michael Zamora

Michael Zamora/Caller-Times Musician Alonzo Cuellar, who was born blind, checks his phone July 18 before performing with Los Mariachis at the La Playa Mexican restaurant. The group performs at weddings, quinceañeras and dance halls besides a bimonthly Friday night gig at the restaurant.

Michael Zamora

Michael Zamora/Caller-Times Trumpet player Serafin Salas (right) and members of Los Mariachis perform July 18 at the La Playa Mexican restaurant in Corpus Christi.

Michael Zamora/Caller-Times Guests smile as Margaret Rodriguez (from left), Alonzo Cuellar and Serafin Salas perform July 18 with members of Los Mariachis at the La Playa Mexican restaurant. The group performs at weddings, quinceañeras and dance halls besides a bimonthly Friday night gig at the restaurant.

Michael Zamora

Michael Zamora/Caller-Times Margaret Rodriguez performs July 18 with members of Los Mariachis at the La Playa Mexican restaurant.

Michael Zamora

Michael Zamora/Caller-Times Trumpet player Serafin Salas serenades a guest July 18 during a performance by Los Mariachis at the La Playa Mexican restaurant. The group performs at weddings, quinceañeras and dance halls besides a bimonthly Friday night gig at the restaurant.

Michael Zamora

Michael Zamora/Caller-Times Margaret Rodriguez performs July 18 with members of Los Mariachis at the La Playa Mexican restaurant.

Michael Zamora

Michael Zamora/Caller-Times Ivan Ibarra, Jr., 18 months, comes up to greet his father, Ivan Ibarra, July 18 as members of Los Mariachis perform at La Playa Mexican restaurant. The group performs at weddings, quinceañeras and dance halls besides a bimonthly Friday night gig at the restaurant.

Michael Zamora/Caller-Times Margaret Rodriguez performs July 18 with members of Los Mariachis at the La Playa Mexican restaurant.

Michael Zamora

CORPUS CHRISTI - The members of Los Mariachis aren’t who you would necessarily expect to see performing traditional mariachi tunes. The lead vocalist is a woman. Another member is blind.

“Other groups told us we wouldn’t make it because this is a male dominated industry,” said vocalist Margaret Rodriguez said. “I took that with a grain of salt, because I feel if you love something, comments like that don’t matter. Nothing’s going to stop us, and we haven’t had any problems yet.”

Rodriguez and trumpet player Serafin Salas started Los Mariachis three years ago. They recruited Alonzo Cuellar, who was born blind and learned to play music by mimicking the notes he heard.

A middle school band teacher taught Cuellar how to play the trumpet by playing and recording music for him. He can also play the euphonium, vihuela and guitar.

“I can read Braille music, but if I hear it, I can learn it,” said Cuellar, 29. “I’ve played professionally since I was 16 years old and in a way I’m still learning.”

Rounding out the group are guitarrón player Ivan Ibarra, 28, and violinist Mark Cantú, 26.

The Corpus Christi based band performs at events across Texas. When they’re not singing at weddings, quinceañeras or dance halls, they have a bimonthly Friday night gig at La Playa Mexican Restaurant on South Padre Island Drive near Weber Road.

Rodriguez, 33, said the band plays traditional mariachi music, meaning the songs are performed as close to the originals as possible.

Ibarra, who’s studied and played mariachi music since he was 13 years old, said singing traditional songs keeps the band authentic.

“This way you’re able to appreciate what mariachi is really about which is entertainment and knowing the songs people are asking for,” Ibarra said. “People know a song by the recording, and we try to keep it as close to that so they can enjoy themselves.”

Learning traditional style mariachi was an adjustment for Cantú, who used his musical talents to distinguish himself in mariachi competitions, he said.

“Ivan and Serafin have taught me so much about the history of mariachi and why it’s important to keep,” Cantú said. “There’s nothing more awesome than playing for people and making their day.”

For Cuellar, a universal musical style means he can play with other mariachi groups in Mexico and the rest of the United States, he said.

“If they change the arrangement I’ll still have an idea of how the songs went originally,” Cuellar said. “Unless there are a bunch of stops in the song, I’d be able to keep up.”

At La Playa, Rodriguez and Salas sing requests for “La del Moño Colorado,” and “Solamente Una Vez.” During up tempo songs, Rodriguez spins and claps to the rhythm, without missing a beat.

“I try to give as much positive energy as I can when I perform,” Rodriguez said. “I love performing and singing. It’s so cleansing to my soul.”

Nearby, Ibarra holds his guitarrón by his side while he serenades Larry and Annie Garza, who requested “Las Llaves de Mi Alma” for their anniversary. The couple have been together almost 40 years, and eat at the restaurant every week, Annie Garza said.

“That’s our song and we always ask mariachi groups if they know it,” Larry Garza said. “To me it means what we’ve accomplished together (and) worked for and what we have for tomorrow.”

Rodriguez said she loves to sing soulful songs and dance to a song when she can.

“Sometimes the words reflect our daily lives and we don’t know it until we sing. It’s surreal when it happens,” Rodriguez said. “ When the audience hears us, they feel it, we feel it. These last three years performing every weekend, I realize I don’t ever want to stop doing it.”

Twitter: @CallerEricaQ

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